As a youngster, Buju would often watch his favourite artists perform at outdoor shows and local dancehalls. At the tender age of 13 he picked up the microphone for himself and began toasting under the monicker of "Gargamel". His first single, "The Ruler" was released not long afterwards in 1987 under the production of Robert French at Penthouse Studios.
In 1991, Buju joined Donovan Germain's Penthouse Label and began a fruitful partnership with producer Dave Kelly. Buju is one of the most popular musicians in Jamaican history, having burst onto the charts there suddenly in 1992, with "Bogle" and "Love Me Browning/Love Black Woman", both massive hits in Jamaica. Controversy erupted over Love Me Browning which spoke of Banton's preference for light-skinned women: "Mi love mi car mi love mi house mi love mi money and ting, but most of all mi love mi browning." Some accused Banton of promoting a colonialist attitude and denigrating the beauty of black women. In response, he released "Black Woman" which spoke of his love for dark-skinned beauties: "Stop cry, fi all black woman, respect all the gyals with dark complexion." 1992 was an explosive year for Buju as he broke the great Bob Marley's record for the greatest number of number one singles in a year. Beginning with "Man fi Dead", Buju's gruff voice dominated the Jamaican airwaves for the duration of the year. Banton's debut album, Mr. Mention, includes his greatest hits from that year.
1992 was also the year in which the controversy over Buju's homophobic "Boom Bye Bye" exploded. The media in Great Britain picked up on Buju's less than admirable promotion of violence against homosexuals. Myrie, who had recently signed with Mercury records, refused to back down from his stance against homosexuals, claiming his religious beliefs prevented him from accepting homosexuality. Banton downplayed the violent content of his song, claiming that it was metaphorical. Gay Rights groups campaigned against Buju as well as Shabba Ranks who, when asked about the controversy on the British show The Word, stated, "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." Shabba later apologized, but Buju refused to back down which drew the ire of various homosexual advocacy groups who continue to campaign against him.
Banton released the hard-hitting Voice of Jamaica in 1993. The album included a number of conscious tracks. These tracks included "Deportees" a song which criticized those Jamaicans who went abroad but never sent money home, a remix of Little Roy's "Tribal War", a sharp condemnation of political violence, and "Willy, Don't Be Silly" which promoted condom use. The conscious spin of this disc did little to stop the attacks of gay rights groups who felt that his continued performance of "Boom Bye Bye" was a slap in their faces. Some dancehall fans felt that Banton could have exploded onto the American scene if his homophobic song hadn't held him back. Nevertheless, Buju was adopted by many new fans who appreciated his gravelly vocals and cared little about his homophobia.
Til Shiloh (1995) was a very influential album, using a studio band instead of synthesized music, and marking a slight shift away from dancehall towards roots reggae for Banton. Buju turned Rasta and his new album reflected his new beliefs. Til Shiloh is one of the greatest dancehall albums of all time and successfully blended conscious lyrics with a hard-hitting dancehall vibe. The album included a single called "Murderer" which condemned the violence in Jamaican dancehall music, inspired by the murders of dancehall musicians Panhead and Dirtsman. The song inspired several clubs to stop playing songs with excessively violent subject matter. This conscious album had a large impact on dancehall music and showed the hunger the dancehall massive had for conscious lyrics. Dancehall music did not move away from slack and violent lyrics, but the album did pave the way for a greater spirituality within the music.
Inna Heights (1997) substantially increased Banton's international audience as Buju explored his singing ability and recorded a number of roots-tinged tracks. Banton covered The Silvertones' "Destiny" and recorded songs with such artists as Beres Hammond and the legendary Toots Hibbert. The album was well-received but had distribution problems. Also, some fans were disappointed, having hoped for another ground-breaking album like "Til Shiloh." Still, Buju's experimentation and soaring vocals impressed many fans and this album remains a highly regarded work.
In 1998, Buju met the punk band Rancid and recorded two tracks with them: "Misty Days" and "Life Won't Wait." The latter became the title track of Rancid's 1999 album, Life Won't Wait. Subsequently, Buju signed with Rancid's eclectic Anti, a subsidiary of Epitaph and released Unchained Spirit in 2000.
In March 2003 he released Friends for Life, which featured more sharply political songs, including "Mr. Nine", an anti-gun song that further verified his status as one of reggae's most anti-confrontational artists.
Banton's 2006 album Too Bad got him nominated for a second Grammy but despite the album's brilliance and artistic excellence "Too Bad" did not garner the award. "Too Bad" brings us back to the Buju of the nineties with his rough phenomenal voice backed by hypnotic beats and conscious lyrics that seem to stay on repeat in your head. "Too Bad" is a complete listen from start to finish and is an extra success because the Gargamel executive produced the album on his own label.
On April 21, 2009, Buju released the often delayed album Rasta Got Soul. This is Banton's ninth album and features the hit single Magic City. This release sees Buju returning to roots and culture reggae. The album received a Grammy nomination in the Best Reggae Album category.
As of December 2009, Buju allegedly attempted to buy cocaine from an undercover officer in Miami and faces up to life in prison if convicted. The trial of Banton began on September 20, 2010 in Tampa, Florida.
Blessed
Buju Banton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Win the prize and tek it, tek it
We ago mek it, mek it
Four corner, global
We ah strive and ah reach fi we goal
Dem ah fight and spite through dem in control
Dem ah real asshole, but a long time
Dem ah scream and ah dream and ah wish we fi dead
But ah God have we head ah nuh just now
We ah scream and ah cheer fi di team
Dem ah plan how fi bench we and dem rule supreme
Like ah dem one fi clean
Well imagine we ah try move out of di shack
Dem ah cry and ah spy and ah try stop we clock
Guess ah who have we back
Tell dem seh we bless
Tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless
Tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless
Tell dem seh we still have life we nuh stress
God light shine on we on our quest
Screw weh yuh man wan' pree we nuh press
Bless up who down with we fuck the rest
Tell dem we nuh broke like dog and we nuh dest
Money follow we like bees so dem ah guess
How come we still look clean and dem ah mess
Eventually they will see
Who is watching over me
Mek we shine like stars above and
Give love to who show us love to
We fly high like the morning dove
And da rich look 'ya fit like glove
Still I say
We ah strive and ah reach fi we goal
Dem ah fight and spite through dem in control
Dem ah real asshole, but a long time
We ah fight fi a slice of di bread
Dem ah scream and ah dream and ah wish we fi dead
But ah God have we head ah nuh just now
We ah scream and ah cheer fi di team
Dem ah plan how fi bench we and dem rule supreme
Like ah dem one fi clean
Well imagine we ah try move out of di shack
Dem ah cry and ah spy and ah try stop we clock
But guess ah who have we back
Tell dem seh we bless
Tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless
Tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless
Nah see me spend my last fi impress
Tell dem mi nuh waste my owna me invest
Mek dem know mi gyal friend wan' put in breast
Tell dem me still look fine and me still ah blow dem mind
So you nah see me pressure no man like some pest
No sah we mek our own ah success
Nah hesitate fi protect we interest
Stay focus me ah try fi progress
Nah follow dem wit di road ah eat chest
Nuh matter weh a man wan talk me careless
Ah this me wan you digest
We ah strive and ah reach fi we goal
Dem ah fight and spite through dem in control
Dem ah real asshole, but a long time
We ah fight fi a slice of di bread
Dem ah scream and ah dream and ah wish we fi dead, huh
But ah God have we head and ah nuh just now
We ah scream and ah cheer fi di team
Dem ah plan how fi bench we and dem rule supreme
Like ah dem one fi clean
You can imagine we ah try move out of di shack
Dem ah cry and ah spy dem ah try stop we clock
Guess ah who have we back
Tell dem seh we bless
Tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless
Tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless
The lyrics of Buju Banton's song Blessed speak about overcoming struggles and striving to achieve one's goals despite facing opposition and obstacles from the people in control. The song's first verse speaks of the determination to achieve and win the prize despite the challenges they face. The chorus emphasizes that they are blessed and that they do not stress because God watches over them. The second verse talks about their resilience in the face of opposition and how they fight for their slice of bread, while others wish them dead. They cheer for their team, while others plan to bench them and rule over them like they are the clean ones.
The song's message encourages its listeners to carry on despite facing setbacks, to stay focused on their goals and protect their interests. They should not let others get in the way of their progress and should not care about what others think or say. The song highlights the importance and power of belief in oneself and the need to keep pushing forward.
Overall, Buju Banton's Blessed is a motivational song that encourages its listeners to keep working towards their dreams despite the adversities of life. The song is a reminder that they are blessed and that God will always be with them.
Line by Line Meaning
We ago mek it, mek it
We will succeed, reach our goals
Win the prize and tek it, tek it
Achieve success and hold onto it
Four corner, global
From all corners of the world
We ah strive and ah reach fi we goal
We are working hard to achieve our goals
Dem ah fight and spite through dem in control
Others are trying to hold us back and bring us down
Dem ah real asshole, but a long time
The people trying to hold us back have been doing it for a while
We ah fight fi a slice of di bread
We are fighting for our share of the wealth and success
Dem ah scream and ah dream and ah wish we fi dead
Others may wish us harm, but we will not be defeated
But ah God have we head ah nuh just now
We have strength because of our faith, it's not a recent development
We ah scream and ah cheer fi di team
We support and encourage those working towards success
Dem ah plan how fi bench we and dem rule supreme
Others are trying to hold us back and maintain power over us
Like ah dem one fi clean
They act as if they are without fault
Well imagine we ah try move out of di shack
We are trying to improve our situation and move up in life
Dem ah cry and ah spy and ah try stop we clock
Others are trying to hinder our progress and success
Guess ah who have we back
We have support and help from an unexpected source
Tell dem seh we bless
Let them know that we are blessed
Tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless, tell dem we bless
Repeating that we are blessed
Tell dem seh we still have life we nuh stress
We are still living and not overwhelmed by stress
God light shine on we on our quest
We have divine guidance and support on our journey
Screw weh yuh man wan' pree we nuh press
We are not trying to impress anyone
Bless up who down with we fuck the rest
We appreciate those who support us and ignore the rest
Tell dem we nuh broke like dog and we nuh dest
We are not destitute, we have means
Money follow we like bees so dem ah guess
We are successful and others are envious of our wealth
How come we still look clean and dem ah mess
Despite challenges, we remain composed and successful
Eventually they will see
In time, others will see and realize
Who is watching over me
We have divine protection and guidance
Mek we shine like stars above and
Let us shine bright and succeed
Give love to who show us love to
We appreciate and show love to those who support us
We fly high like the morning dove
We are achieving great success
And da rich look 'ya fit like glove
The wealthy suits us well
Nah see me spend my last fi impress
We do not waste our resources trying to impress others
Tell dem mi nuh waste my owna me invest
We are selective with our investments
Mek dem know mi gyal friend wan' put in breast
Inform others that our girlfriend wants implants
Tell dem me still look fine and me still ah blow dem mind
Despite challenges, we remain attractive and impressive
So you nah see me pressure no man like some pest
We do not put pressure on others and bother them
No sah we mek our own ah success
We create our own success
Nah hesitate fi protect we interest
We will not hesitate to protect our interests
Stay focus me ah try fi progress
We remain focused on progressing towards success
Nah follow dem wit di road ah eat chest
We do not follow the same path and experience failure
Nuh matter weh a man wan talk me careless
We do not care about others' negative talk or opinions
Ah this me wan you digest
This is what we want you to understand and remember
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mark Anthony Myrie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zain-wj6hg
Buju has confirmed what mum use to tell me " the come back is always stronger than the set back" this track got me chills...
@cherbear977
Right! Amen! Blessed!
@redcatone6114
@Cher Bear yes true
@akumba
When connection is from within only you can do what you do
https://youtu.be/aK7dL2WWShk
@King03699
I love that message the come back be real strong πͺ. Your mom is wise ππΎππΎ
@damiancurrier6414
β€
@augustinahodge47
Truly blessed and highly favored. This man voice gives me goose bumps everytime! Feel it to the core. β€οΈππ
@kimberlybaldwin-paladino2500
Unmatched
@flocaine
I love how he put emotions in his songs, you can truly feel them.
@tammiehiggs9014
I absolutely love this man's positive energy. So contagious.
I'm a sucker for positive vibes!
Thank you Buju! You are fully loved here!